Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hit out at the decision to award Everton a penalty during their 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, insisting Iliman Ndiaye’s equaliser should never have been given.
The incident occurred early in the second half when Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly collided with Jack Harrison in the box. Referee Darren England pointed to the spot immediately, and the decision was upheld following a VAR review. Ndiaye stepped up to convert, cancelling out Leandro Trossard’s first-half opener for the Gunners.
“I’m 100% frustrated,” Arteta told BBC Match of the Day. “We were in control and dominating the game. Then, out of nowhere, the referee gives a penalty. I’ve watched it 15 times—it’s never a penalty in my opinion.”
The Arsenal boss acknowledged Everton’s threat from set-pieces but insisted his side gave away too many unnecessary fouls. “They’re very good at what they do, but they created nothing. We handed them too many chances through silly fouls.”
Everton manager David Moyes admitted he hadn’t seen the incident back, saying: “I’ve watched it zero times, so I couldn’t tell you if it was a penalty or not.”
The Premier League’s official match centre later explained on X (formerly Twitter) that VAR had confirmed the referee’s decision, with the contact between Lewis-Skelly and Harrison deemed sufficient and inside the area.
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton shared his thoughts on BBC Radio 5 Live, describing the call as “a very, very soft penalty,” adding: “Even David Moyes would probably agree.”
The draw dealt a significant blow to Arsenal’s title hopes. With Liverpool needing just 11 points from their final eight matches—starting with Fulham on Sunday—Arteta’s side may have lost vital ground in the race.
“We have no margin for error—that’s obvious,” Arteta said. “We did enough to win, but the margins are so, so small.”
